Situations arise where vibration-damping isolation of a mattress or seat cushion from its support frame would be highly desirable. To supplement the current body-supporting furniture such as the traditional chair or bed, our MagLev module with MTL control system provides an innovative solution to enable the chair or bed function via magnet repulsion.
Magnetic cushioning of mattresses and seats are disclosed in certain prior patents. U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,027 shows the use of electromagnets mounted on spaced-apart plates in a seat cushion, one plate being secured to the seat frame and the other to the underside of the seat cushion. Mechanical springs coupling the upper and lower plates are also provided. However, this magnetic cushioning structure does not provide effective isolation of the seat cushion from horizontal vibrations.
Another approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,513 wherein a magnetically supported structure of a mattress or seat includes a pair of spaced-apart, aligned sheets of non-magnetic material, each sheet having magnets disposed on its inner face in opposition to magnets on the other sheet, with the opposing magnet faces in each magnet pair having like polarity. This is a new approach to design and making bed by combining the MagLev force and the elasticity of the low-density polymer material. Yet, its traditional mechanical mounting structure limits its ability to move freely sidewise. U.S. Pat. No. 7,941,882 discloses a magnetic cushioning system for use in a cushion, mattress or other cushioned article, the cushioning system providing adjustable firmness for the user. The magnetic cushioning system includes a plurality of magnetic supports enclosed within the cover. Each of the magnetic supports has a flexible shell of opposed upper and lower ends. A permanent magnet is disposed within the flexible shell and is positioned adjacent to the upper end. This article offers a way to adjust firmness along the length of the bed or across its width. It involves an electro-magnetic system that provides adjustable firmness at multiple locations along the mattress.
This article sheds new light into the bed design by providing extra comfort to the sleeper through the embedded MagLev units. Yet, it takes too many coil-like units in order to function as a MagLev bed and the cost of making such a system could be high. Compared with the prior arts, our MagLev module with MTL control system applied in furniture such as the MagLev bed has the advantage that the mattress can be independently laid on top of the module since our MagLev module is compact in design and easy to use. Due to the simplicity in design and application, it also makes the horizontal movement possible, i.e., the bed can gently swing thanks to the special MTL control system, where a compact electromagnet is installed next to the MTL control system. It can generate horizontal swing in given direction, which is controlled via the electromagnet and its interaction with the permanent magnet in the MTL control system. This function helps relax the person and put him into a solid sleep. With the built-in magnetic field, it can also provide mild magnetic massage to the person on the bed. This system is simple in design and easy to make. It is affordable to use thanks to its design and low cost in maintenance. It can be used in a wide variety of products such as MagLev bed, MagLev chair and MagLev protection layer for heavy duty equipment or even marine vessels. For example, the heavy-duty MagLev module with MTL control system can be mounted outside the hull of the vessel sailing in the icy water. It can provide extra protection and magnetic cushioning from any physical impact. In this case, the compression of the module absorbs most of the impact energy and saves the vessel from major damage. Further, our MagLev module with MTL control system is designed with environment protection in mind, the major components of the system are recyclable and can be re-assembled into the new system, which in turn lowers the manufacturing and operation cost as well.